Nutrition

Question 1

What is a forage?

Answer 1

Plant material/ Feed eaten by grazing or browsing animals- it provides 50-100% of all total feed requirements of ruminants and herbivores

Question 2

What is the main carbohydrate found in forage?

Answer 2

Fibre

Question 3

Where are cellulose and lignin found in plants?

Answer 3

In the plant cell wall not the cell contents

Question 4

Why do herbivores need a larger % of cell walls

Answer 4

To help maintain gut health

Question 5

What do later cut forages have more of?

Answer 5

Lignin (accumulated as they grow to help them stand)

Question 6

What is fibre?

Answer 6

A carbohydrate that cannot be digested by mammalian enzymes and is fermented

Question 7

What are some different types of grass?

Answer 7

Perennial ryegrass, Timothy, Fescues, Coltsfoot and Clover

Question 8

What is digestibility dependent on?

Answer 8

Lignin content, ratio of cell wall to cell contents, ‘type of fibre’

Question 9

What are two methods of conserving forages?

Answer 9

Natural fermentation/ pickling or Drying to remove moisture

Question 10

Natural fermentation

Answer 10

Keeps high moisture (such as silage)

Question 11

Drying

Answer 11

For low moisture

Question 12

What is Silage

Answer 12

Fermented young grass, has limited wilting as most of the water is removed- wrapped up to remove oxygen for anaerobic respiration (acidic conditions to prevent degrading bacteria from working)

Question 13

What happens when the environment acidifies?

Answer 13

More lactic acid bacteria grow, prevents plant enzymes and degrading bacteria and the crop is preserved

Question 14

Haylage

Answer 14

Fermented older grass, usually for horses, drier and has less nutrition

Question 15

Hay

Answer 15

Mature grass, left outside to dry and 85% of water is removed- usually stored inside in a barn

Question 16

What is Straw?

Answer 16

Stems/Stalks of common cereals such as Wheat, Barley, Oats… Harvested after the cereal, very dry and stored inside under a cover (has a very low nutritional value)

Question 17

What are cereals?

Answer 17

Edible seeds of specific grasses

Question 18

Fermenting vs drying

Answer 18

Fermenting: More water- higher nutrition but has a lower DM and fibre content (and vice versa)

Question 19

What determines how nutritious a cereal is?

Answer 19

Variety, Method of processing and digestive anatomy of the animal

Question 20

Whole cereals

Answer 20

Most suitable for acidic stomachs (horses) and animals that can chew

Question 21

Why feed cereals?

Answer 21

High in starch

Question 22

Why break open cereals?

Answer 22

For animals that don’t chew, increases the SA of the material so they are more likely to be digested by microbial enzymes

Question 23

What are the 4 processes involved in processing cereals?

Answer 23

Latinistaion, Micronising, steam flaked and extruding

Question 24

Why might Herbivores require cereals?

Answer 24

Provides additional energy for performance animals

Question 25

Why do Carnivores need fibre?

Answer 25

Fibre needed for gut health, and provides additional energy fr performance animals

Question 26

Why do Omnivores require fibre?

Answer 26

Cereals are the main bulk of their diet, needed for gut epithelial health and gut peristalsis

Question 27

Compound Feed

Answer 27

Recipe/ formulation that provides a balanced diet

Question 28

Complete feed

Answer 28

Formulated to meet the animals daily nutrient requirements

Question 29

Complementary feed

Answer 29

Meets nutrient requirements when fed in conjunction with other food

Question 30

What can improper nutrition cause?

Answer 30

Inability to maintain correct weight, weakened immune system, increased risk of disease, reduced life span

Question 31

What determines the nutrition that a food provides?

Answer 31

How much the animal eats, the quality, whether the animal eats all the food, what else is being fed